Wisconsin coach Bret Beilema watches from the sidelines during overtime of the Badgers’ loss to Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, in Madison, Wis. Michigan State won 16-13. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

MADISON, Wis.–The preferred method for the University of Wisconsin football team was to win the Big Ten Conference Leaders Division outright and leave no doubt about its worthiness of making a return trip to the league’s title game.

Failing that, the Badgers may have to settle for the back door.

Their division title hopes took a serious hit with the 16-13 overtime loss to Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Camp Randall Stadium, leaving them at 3-2 in the conference and two games behind Ohio State (5-0) in the division with three to play.

“We don’t want people to say, if we lose against Ohio State, ‘They (Badgers) are only going because (Ohio State) can’t go,’ ” UW senior tailback Montee Ball said. “… We want to make a stand, make some noise and tell people we were going to make it anyway.”

But that scenario no longer seems likely for the Badgers, who are 6-3 overall.

As several players pointed out after the game, the team’s goals remain intact thanks to Ohio State and Penn State (3-1) being ineligible for the postseason.

“You’ve just got to move on,” senior linebacker Mike Taylor said. “The goals are still there. We’ve still got everything to play for. We’ve just got to learn from this.”

If the Badgers don’t get some answers for an offense that could be without starting quarterback Joel Stave (broken collarbone) for the rest of the season, their concern won’t be catching Ohio State, it will simply be staying ahead of Indiana.

By snapping an 11-game conference losing streak dating to 2010 with a 31-17 victory over Illinois, the Hoosiers (1-3 Big Ten) suddenly became contenders to make the title game.

UW and Indiana are the only eligible teams in the division to win a conference game.

The Hoosiers (3-5 overall) have four games left: home against Iowa and UW and at Penn State and Purdue.

If Indiana can beat the Badgers in two weeks and win two other games to get to 4-4, UW would have to win at home against Ohio State and at Penn State to get to 5-3. Otherwise, the Hoosiers would hold the tiebreaker (head-to-head) and go to Indianapolis.

“We’re not thinking about that right now,” Ball said of the division race. “We’re focused on the bye week and getting better, correcting mistakes, or else we won’t play well.”

That’s especially true with an offense that floundered after Stave was injured on the first offensive play of the third quarter.

Stave played well in the first half, going 9-for-11 passing for 127 yards and a touchdown. He was injured on a sack by defensive end William Gholston, who battled through a double team.

First, Gholston was chipped by fullback Derek Watt, then blocked by right tackle Rob Havenstein. But Gholston made an inside move and Stave held the ball too long, then stepped up into the sack.

“It happened to be a second-leak guy that actually got to him,” center Travis Frederick said. “I think the initial pass rush was actually stopped, so what happened was terrible. I think (Stave) was playing pretty well.”

Backup Danny O’Brien got off to a rocky start when he barely got a handoff to Ball, who was tackled for a 4-yard loss. O’Brien was sacked for an 11-yard loss on the next play.

O’Brien finished out the Purdue game two weeks earlier but hadn’t attempted a pass since going in for a failed 2-minute drive at the end of the 30-27 loss to Nebraska on Sept. 29.

“It’s a little different preparing as a two without being in there with the ones,” he said when asked whether he was prepared to go in the game. “But you can still do things that are in your control: watching film, going over the game plan with (offensive coordinator Matt) Canada, seeing what we’re doing.

“Obviously, it’s been about a month since I’ve been in there in meaningful action, so I think it took a few plays to get settled in. But I’ve been with the ones enough to where I got it back pretty quick.”

The three lost-yardage plays to start the second half were an indication of what was to come. The Badgers had 11 lost-yardage plays for minus-81 yards in the second half. They included: four sacks for minus-35 yards; five rushes for minus-31; and two penalties for minus-15.

O’Brien was 5-for-11 passing for 44 yards and was sacked three times.

“It’s no secret, we all took a step back (Saturday),” Ball said. “I think everyone did.”

The Badgers can use the bye to decide if O’Brien or senior Curt Phillips gives them the best chance going forward at quarterback.

“First and foremost, we’ve got to get healthy,” O’Brien said. “I think the week off is good, (after) playing nine straight games. But if I know these guys, they’re going to rally around (each other). We’ll be anxious to get out there in two weeks and play (Indiana) on the road.”

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